DIGITAL BY DESIGN

Having the chance to support local artists through this blog is always a treat, so I was excited when my friend Todd approached me about a new undertaking - excited, but wary. Why? Part of this new project, he told me, would involve transferring a photo of a mural he'd painted in his dining room onto a t-shirt. So you understand my trepidation? Well, trepidatiousness be damned! The line, branded RTH Designs, is a digitized treat. Using dye-sublimation printing (it's complicated), Todd was able to have the mural as well as a few other original designs (I'm seen here wearing my favorite) blown up and transferred onto performance polyester t-shirts. The material's sheen adds a trendy neoprene-ish element to the shirts' outsized prints and is damn comfortable to boot!

Todd is having a launch party for the line this Friday, June 1st, at his store Artifacts. Click here for more information and be sure to swing by! Tell him you saw "some fruit on the internet" wearing his design - he'll get it ;)

RTH Designs t-shirt paired with my faux leather leggings from Urban Outfitters, a cotton sportcoat from Zara and my combat boots from Low Vintage. Shot "on location" at McIntire skate park; photos by Fareine Benz.

AT HOME WITH SARAH OWEN

We now take a break from our regularly scheduled programming...as a last little treat for my Virginia readers I'm sharing some photos of Charlottesville-based artist Sarah Owen's home. Owen and I discussed at length her most fitting job title, since she's fluent in so many creative pursuits. For the purposes of this post, I shall declare her an official Purveyor of Awesome. Aside from her work as an artist she also does interior design and curates a distinctive selection of objets d'art. These were previously available at the shop she opened with her designer father John Owen, JohnSarahJohn (see that space here), but many of them now populate the varied surfaces of her charming bungalow.

The living room is as inviting as it looks...the best-lit room in the house, Owen's mix of found objects and unexpected floral alternatives (dried seedpods #forthewin) provide the perfect complement to the artwork and layered textiles.

The desk is actually an industrial cart with hammered steel on top (I think...that at least sounds right), a compelling space for a tableau of framed family portraits and artful finds.

A salvaged sign letter is given pride of place above the kitchen sink; the dining room showcases a traditional lighting fixture around which Owen wove twigs to get it in line with her organic aesthetic.

Owen is lucky enough to have an in-home studio where she can paint, sculpt and modify everyday things into beautiful objects. I'm incredibly grateful Sarah asked me to help capture the essence of her space and hope you've enjoyed getting a peek into the home of such a talented creative mind!

All photos taken in natural light with my Canon Rebel t1i.
To contact Sarah Owen, click here.

DRESSING A VINTAGE VIXEN

Jenn and I got together the other week to shoot some photos for Vintage Vixen using my little ol' Holga, just for fun. I'd seen her working at the C&O bar and fell in love with her hair and general bodaciousness. Here she is just blazing in vintage Versace, Mugler, Givenchy, Dior...names, darling, I want names! You can check out the full sized images over on ma Flickr, if that excites you, and hit up the store if you see something you like!

Vintage Vixen
300 East Market St.
Charlottesville, VA 22902
(434) 244-0778

BELL IS THE NEW BLACK

Or, an alternative post title might be, "Trucker Lovechild." The bell bottoms are vintage Mudd ladyjeans that I picked up at Ike's Underground - I know I said bell bottoms were a trend that wouldn't be coming back into fashion...but I lied, as they are obviously f*cking awesome. I paired them here with my vintage Ralph flannel and an army surplus jacket I had customized last year by my darling dearest BFF, screenprinting wunderkind James Anthony. The boots and bracelet are from Low Vintage and ma sunnies are from Bygones Vintage in Richmond.

I'm crazy about these wooden beads and the "summer of love" vibe they lend to my wardrobe, drawing inspiration from this previously blogged editorial. So what's the consensus? Are we all on board the bell bottom bandwagon? Or am I alone on the Ashton-Kutcher-circa-That-70's-Show express? Photos Joel Codiamat.

QUEENS OF THE NIGHT

Join Low Vintage and I for a fashion spectacular next Friday night, Get Low, co-hosted by drag queens Florence Marie and Helen Killer (seen here working it at UVa's drag bingo.) The runway portion will star a bevy of local babes (and dudebabes) wearing the hottest Spring/Summer fashions, not to mention select photographs from The Low Lookbook will be printed up real nice-like for your viewing pleasure. On top of all that there will be champagne and Shirley Temples, plus cheese and bread and dips AND hot DJ action from Three Witches and DJ Tyler Magill. It should be a lot of fun, so I hope to see all local readers out that night! (FYI: you can drop by anytime within the three hour window of the event.)

Low Vintage + Sean Santiago present Get Low

Friday, May 4th @ 6:30-9:30pm

105 5th St. SE

Charlottesville, VA 22902

(434) 293-9082

O-CHECK YOURSELF

How do you keep your thoughts organized? I’ve started carrying around a little notebook so that I can jot down random musings and things I read about that I want to look into later. I used to have one of those Field Notes notebooks, but they’re just not cute enough. Enter O-check Design Graphics, a Korean company that's been on my stationery-dar since last year.

O-check makes the world’s cutest notebooks. They’re so cute that I’m pretty sure the design directive is just a looped video of a kitten riding on the back of a rabbit riding on the back of a baby pony that trips over its own feet, with the words “cuter than this” above it. The entire product range has a vintage vibe and a predilection for French, and would look great Instagrammed next to some latte art. O-check notebook from Artifacts, pen from Muji. Some of my favorite places for notebooks: Artifacts (434) 295-9500, O’Suzannah (434) 979-7467 and RPS (434) 979-6366.

Need more organization inspiration?

Check out my post on the best binder for tear sheets here.

THE BREAD BOX

Rick Easton's artisanal supper club, Bread and Salt, held a brunch in collaboration with restaurant The Box yesterday. It was cleverly titled, "The Bread Box" - so cute! There was even a heart in my cappucino and then Chelsea and I instagrammed ourselves holding her espresso cup in a fitting tribute to this Portlandia sketch. I got the French toast and it was c'est fantastique! Yes, that's it in the lower left-hand corner - it's as giant as a steak, no? Incroyable!

Follow me on Instagram @thisfruitsnaps

UP AGAINST THE WALL

I've started shooting street style for print again! It's been almost a year and a half since I was last combing the streets, albeit on the other side of the world (see some of my previous work here and here), and this is my very first published print work in the States. Woo!

These are some favorite snaps so far...mmm, texture and contrast. The top lady's bag is Michael Kors and the bag below is Fendi, from an outtake that didn't make it into print. And yes, of course, I now expect you to strike a pose every time you see me. Work it!

A FINE VINTAGE

This weekender is a gorgeous new addition to my tiny (but growing!) collection of vintage bags. That shape! The hardware! Those wonderfully worn-in handles! Low co-owner Nora picked this up from the home of a gay couple in Waynesboro, Virginia. Apparently the two of them often indulged in matching items, but there was only one of these babies. It belonged to the half of the couple that was a flight attendant and still had its airport tags inside when I bought it. It's in remarkable condition, though a little scuffed, and is the absolute perfect size for the average man. I, on the other hand, will barely be able to fit mon toilette and a limited selection of jewelry. Such is life!

Draped with my silk Dries Van Noten scarf that I never wear because I'm too afraid I'll get it dirty.

DEAR BLOGGING No. 2

I managed to leave the state of Virginia only once in the entirety of 2011, compared to traveling through nine different countries in 2010. Whoa. I still got around, though, taking my camera with me to shine a new light on various places including the Crozet Mudhouse (above), Artifacts, Low Vintage, JohnSarahJohn (right before they opened), and Coogan's workspace in Random Row...

I also scoped out a few area homes including my aunt and uncle's custom abode and design-and-build firm owner's Joey Conover and Jeff Erkelens' now former residence, not to mention my friend Debbie's incredible country compound and its ducks!

The one out-of-state trip I took was to NYC, where I visited the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens and took this picture that makes it look like I maybe visited Japan:

And then I shot some "country living" scenes with my Holga, including these trees:

I think coming back to the States in a traveling mindset helped me keep my eyes open for interesting things going on around me. Hopefully I'll continue being pleasantly surprised by living local...

Speaking of the pleasant surprises of living local, next week I launch/reveal/unleash my first big project for the new year, The Low Lookbook. Styled and photographed by yours truly, the digital book highlights some of the best spring outfits for modern vintage dressing from the incredible (and local!) Low Vintage. Keep your eyes peeled and brace yourself for awesome!

Silhouetted

Recently picked up these vintage Ferragamo cap-toe oxfords from Vintage Vixen. *Swoon*

COSMEOS HERBAL BEAUTY

My friend Audrey recently launched her own cosmetics line and asked me if I might have any interest in trying it out. I don’t know about y'all, but a friend of mine launching a beauty line they want me to test is an ultimate fantasy, right up there with guest designing a shoe for Opening Ceremony and Hugh Jackman.

The line, Cosmeos Herbal, is entirely handmade by Audrey here in Charlottesville. Born of Audrey’s studies of herbology and traditional medicines, the product range currently includes herbal facial grains, an organic herbal pillow and lip balm. I’ve been looking for a no-frills facial mask and the herbal facial grains, which can be used as a spot treatment, wash, or mask proved just the ticket. The grains come in two variations, stored in cute little apothecary jars – I got the green clay-based version for normal to oily skin, considering my pores are currently under congressional review as America’s next best oil reserve.

I applied the mask the other night, something that I'm sure will get easier with time as this was my first attempt at using a mask of any sort. I went to mix a teaspoon of the grains with water, per the label’s instructions, but did so in the palm of my hand. Rookie mistake – grains poofed everywhere before I could get them to form anything resembling a paste. I tried again, this time mixing them with water in a little bowl – evolution! The clay and oats formed a satisfyingly green mask that diminished redness – we’ll see after a few uses how effective it is against my T-zone troubles, but I’m guessing the mix of organic calendula, raw almonds and peppermint essential oil will be a welcome ally in the fight against unnecessary shine.

In addition to the grains I’ve been wearing the peppermint lip balm (luscious) and trying to find sweet dreams with the organic herbal pillow, which I pop in the freezer before use - it's wonderful!

Interested? Visit Cosmeos Herbal’s Etsy shop

or stop by Boutique Boutique on the downtown mall to see the products in person!

Herbal Facial Grains $8

Organic Herbal Pillow $12

Lip Balm $3

A FRIEND IN WEAVE IS A FRIEND INDEED

What's funny is that when I met Claibourne she really did have in weave! And I had on my blonde wig - it was Halloween. There's nothing more rewarding than a relationship founded on fake hair, so of course I have quite the post to bring you from my visit to Claibourne's apartment. Located in an old factory building, the space has high ceilings, a Jetsons-esque kitchen and a skylight over the shower. I stopped by to have my real hair did and to take some pictures. I was going to try to make this more about my hairstyling session, but the best pics are of the apartment so I'll let that be the focus (probably for the better considering the narrative potential of a men's haircut: it was short! and now it's shorter!)

This is Clovis the cat, right before he bites me. Joke! Clovis didn't bite me, although he was a bit ornery (if you couldn't tell).

The place had a very retro-bunker vibe that I just loved, not to mention how much I relished the lack of standard salonage - peeping through back issues of People Style Watch next to someone's 11-year-old and making small talk about shampoo. Stay tuned to the blog this week to check out the cut in action and I'll be sure to let you in on any particularly intriguing future hairvelopments - there was talk of dramatic color! (Speaking of which, no, I have not tried the dip-dye color I blogged about last month, je suis too poulet.)

Besitos~